NYS Trees for Tribs, Buffer in a Bag Program

Buffer in a Bag

The Buffer in a Bag program provides organizations and private landowners with free tree and shrub seedlings to help establish or improve a stream buffer on their property. The 2022 application period is open from February 10th until 3:00pm April 11th.

Who is Eligible

Anyone who owns or manages land in New York State with at least 50 feet along a stream or waterbody is eligible to receive a free bag of seedlings. Organizations or individuals with permission to plant on a given property with stream or waterbody access may also participate. Applicants are limited to one bag per property, but previous participants are encouraged to apply each year to continue to grow their stream buffer.

Program Requirements

• Seedlings must be planted within a riparian area (along the bank of a river, creek, or stream or shore of a lake). This can include areas within a floodplain or within 300 feet of a stream. No road, structure, stormwater pond, drainage ditch, or other constructed feature should separate the planting area from the waterbody. Ponds may be accepted if you can provide photo evidence of a natural outlet.
• Recipients must submit photos of the area after the seedlings have been planted.
• Recipients must agree to care for the seedlings for the first several years, until they are well established.

Participants will be asked to provide information on the seedlings’ condition, as well as photos of the planting site, at the five-year mark.

How to Apply

Complete the online Buffer in a Bag application (leaves DEC website), OR download a paper application (PDF) and submit it via mail to:

NYSDEC, Division of Lands and Forests
Attn: Trees for Tribs Coordinator
625 Broadway, 5th Floor
Albany, NY 12233-4250

• All applications must be submitted by 3:00pm on Monday, April 11th, 2022.
• Applications must include one of the following:
  • A map of your planting site with the location of the planting marked. Instructions are available to help you screenshot your planting site (PDF) on Google Maps. Or,
  • photos of the planting area with the waterbody included.
  • Whether including a map of photos, GPS coordinates for your site are strongly encouraged but not required. Instructions are available to help you find your site’s GPS coordinates (PDF).
• We strongly encourage applicants to provide an active email address so that they may receive timely communications regarding missing application information.
• Please check that all fields of the application are completed before submitting your application. Recipients are selected on a first-come, first-served basis, and an incomplete application will decrease your chances of receiving the free seedlings.

If you have questions, you may email us at TreesForTribs@dec.ny.gov or call the Trees for Tribs program at (518) 402-9405.